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10 June 2011

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Nansen Conference on Climate Change and Displacement in the 21st Century

6-7 June 2011 | Oslo, Norway

Highlights for Monday, 6 June 2011

Photo courtesy of Rune Eraker

The Nansen Conference on Climate Change and Displacement in the 21st Century, organized by the Norwegian Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, opened on Monday, 6 June 2011, at the Høyres Hus in Oslo, Norway. The overall focus of the conference is to share experiences on vulnerability, resilience and capacity for adaptation of communities in areas prone to disaster due to climate change, as well as on the protection of displaced people, and promoting action to help prevent or manage displacement.

Approximately 200 participants representing governments, non-governmental organizations, civil society, research institutions and intergovernmental organizations gathered on Monday morning to hear an opening address by Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, where she described the legacy of Fridtjof Nansen as a scientist, humanitarian, internationalist and the first High Commissioner for Refugees. Jonas Gahr Støre, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Norway, noted the need to establish a common set of principles that underpin action to prevent displacement. To ensure the protection of people displaced by climate change, Erik Solheim, Minister of the Environment and International Development, Norway, favored effective usage of existing institutions, such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the World Bank. Throughout the day, participants took part in interactive sessions focusing on: climate change-related drivers of displacement; country case studies covering the geographic and thematic diversity of climate change and displacement; and resilience building and climate change adaptation.

Daily Highlights(click on the following links to see our daily web pages)

L-R: Neil Buhne, Director of Geneva Liaison Office of the UN Development Programme’s Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery; Atiq Rahman, Executive Director, Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies; and Vice-Chair Harald Dovland, former Head of Norwegian Delegation to the climate change negotiations

Elisabeth Rasmusson, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council

L-R: Shahidul Haque, Director, Department of International Cooperation and Partnerships, International Organization for Migration; Margareta Wahlström, UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction; and Walter Kälin, University of Bern, former Representative of the UN Secretary-General on the Human Rights of Internationally Displaced Persons

Daily Highlights(click on the following links to see our daily web pages)